Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for attending the opening evening at the SHAW centre in Sidney. It was a great evening filled with all sorts of terrific speakers and a variety of entertainment. Thanks to FOSH and Farrell Boyce for inviting me ,,,, I very much enjoyed presenting a slide show based on wildlife seen by myself on the Saanich Peninsula.This weekend local Nature lovers celebrate the return of the Buffleheads (and other wintering species) as they have arrived from their Summer homes for countless years mid October.. in fact October 15th to be exact.​

Come Celebrate the Return of the Bufflehead Ducks!The 2017 Buffleheads Celebration will take place over three days, Friday October 13, Saturday October 14 and Sunday October 15. We have some great events to offer you!Friday October 13: Public Reception 7 to 9 pm at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea (9811 Seaport Place, Sidney BC Hear updates from the many local organizations working to protect and promote our rich natural heritage and introduce the exciting concept of “naturehood”.Photographer, Terry Venables will present a slide show of his “grace in motion” photographs of local birds and other wildlife. We’ll introduce you to the Plein Air Painters, a group of local artists who paint directly from nature and who have supported many environmental outreach events by exhibiting their work. Pamela Porter, an accomplished area poet, will read some of her poems to improvised piano accompaniment by musician, Patrick Godfrey.There will be time to socialize with other guests and to share light refreshments.A highlight of the evening will be the formal unveiling of a new painting by Robert Bateman.This event (Friday, October 13) and that of October 14, will take place in the traditional territory of the Tseycum First Nation. We are grateful for the presence of representatives from the Tseycum community. We acknowledge the support of the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, which made this beautiful space and its facilities available at no cost. If you enjoyed the reception, a small donation to defray the out-of-pocket expenses would be gratefully received (donation basket at the exit).

***************************************************************************Saturday, October 14: Bufflehead Welcoming Ceremony, 9:30 am to 11am at Roberts Bay (intersection of Ardwell Ave. and Resthaven Dr. in Sidney)Everybody welcome! This is our traditional gathering to honour the Bufflehead Ducks and other migratory birds that choose to winter in our community. Join us under the tents at the Ardwell Beach Access, where Chief Tanya Jones of the Tseycum First Nation will welcome us to this place, one of the Tseycum traditional food-gathering sites. There will be Bufflehead-related displays and activities for adults and children, explanations of local natural history, brief addresses from supportive politicians, and much scanning of the Bay waters for migratory birds, Buffleheads in particular.Saturday, October 14: Nature Sketching, 10 am to 12 noon, at Roberts Bay (intersection of Ardwell Ave. and Resthaven Dr. in Sidney)Nature Sketching is a children and youth program established by the Robert Bateman Centre in Victoria BC (one of our partners in the Buffleheads Celebration http://www.batemancentre.org ). The program arises from Robert Bateman’s experience of outdoor sketching as a way of interacting directly with nature and developing observing skills. This is a special edition of the program Complementing the Welcoming Ceremony for the Bufflehead ducks. Young people not registered with the program are welcome to attend on this special occasion. Sketching materials and instruction will be available. Participants should wear waterproof shoes or boots; some wading may be required to cross Mermaid Creek where it fans out on the beach.Sunday October 15: boat Tour of the Victoria Migratory Bird Sanctuary, the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Places In Between, 9am to 2 pm. Great Opportunity! Limited Spaces Available.

Author

Greetings from Southern Vancouver Island.Please feel free to comment on any images or about wildlife, photography , etc My email can be found on the contact page link or click the button below .naturalimagescanada@gmail.com All the best,.............TerryV :)